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University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Should I Buy an Acre?

Recommended Grade Level(s)

  • 3-5
  • 6-8

Primary Subject Area(s)

  • Geography
  • Economics
  • Mathematics

Related Artifacts

Activity Description

Use mathematics to find the actual area of the acreage and to determine the cost per acre. Next, use an inflation calculator to determine the cost in current U.S. dollars. Compare this cost to costs of rural and city plots in contemporary Southern Nevada. Given hindsight, would you have purchased the plot?

Standards Addressed

  1. Geography
    1. Grade 4 Standards
      1. G7.4.3: Describe differences among rural, suburban, and urban settlement in Nevada.
      2. G7.4.4: Describe historical and current economic issues in Nevada using geographic resources, i.e., illustrate demographic changes due to mining and gaming.
      3. G8.4.3: Explore the impact of human modification of Nevada's physical environment on the people who live there.
    2. Grades 6-8 Standards
      1. G5.6-8.3: Make and defend a spatial decision using basic geographic vocabulary, tools, and concepts.
      2. G7.[6-8].2: Describe how movements of people, goods, ideas, and resources have affected events and conditions in the past and present.
      3. G7.[6-8].5: Identify a regional or international economic issue and explain it from a spatial perspective.
      4. G8.[6-8].3: Describe the changes that result from human modification of the physical environment.
  2. Economics
    1. Grades 6-8 Standards
      1. E9.[6-8].2: Identify factors that affect purchasing decisions such as: price, income, availability of substitutes, self interest.
      2. E9.[6-8].5: Demonstrate and explain an understanding of supply and demand in a market, i.e., law of supply and law of demand.
  3. Mathematics
    1. Grade 4 Standards
      1. 1.4.6: Estimate to determine the reasonableness of an answer in mathematical and practical situations.
      2. 1.4.8: Generate and solve addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division problems using whole numbers in practical situations.
      3. 3.4.4: Determine totals for monetary amounts in practical situations.
    2. Grade 7 Standards
      1. 1.7.6: Generate a reasonable estimate for a computation using a variety of methods.
      2. 1.7.7: Calculate with integers and other rational numbers to solve mathematical and practical situations.
      3. 3.7.5: Write and apply proportions to solve mathematical and practical problems involving measurement and monetary conversions.
 

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